BOB MACK/The Times-Union--9/9/10-- Mug of Florida Rep. Audrey Gibson (D-Jacksonville - District 15). Declaring that the dismal graduation rate for black males in Florida is "critical and unacceptable, " Senator Anthony "Tony" Hill, Sr. (D-Jacksonville) held a press conference on Thursday, September 9, 2010 to announce plans to try to turn things around. Senator Hill was joined by John H. Jackson, President and CEO of The Schott Foundation for Public Education, which just released a report, entitled "Yes We Can" documenting the poor performance rates nationwide and ways to improve education for Florida's young black men. Press conference was held outside the Duval County Public Schools building in Jacksonville, FL. (The Florida Times-Union, Bob Mack)

TALLAHASSEE | Citing violations in state election law, state Sen. Audrey Gibson has filed a complaint with the Florida Ethics Commission against a committee that has been hammering Democratic candidates with negative mail pieces.

The group, which calls itself Progressives, has tried to affect state Senate races across Florida. It pretends to be a Democratic-leaning organization but it is run by Republican operatives.

The Jacksonville Democrat’s complaint says the group has been receiving contributions but not reporting them.

“They are breaking the law,” Gibson said. “When you raise money, you have to report it.”

State records show that Progressives registered as what’s called an “electioneering communication organization” Aug. 27. A letter sent by the state to Stafford Jones, the group’s chairman, says the group needed to start reporting contributions and expenditures on Sept. 21.

The group has filed two reports but listed “$0” for contributions and expenditures on both. Jones, who also heads the Republican Party of Alachua County, did not comment.

Gibson’s complaint says the number does not make sense considering the number of mailers that has the group’s name on them.

“The facts indicate that the Progressives and its treasurer have filed false, incomplete and incorrect campaign treasurer’s report as well have failed to report contributions,” read the complaint.

Chris Cate, a spokesman for the Florida Department of State, said if money has flowed through the organization it should be reported.

“If the [group] has been accepting contributions and expenditures and did not report them, then it’s a violation under the purview of the Elections Commission,” said Cate, who was speaking generically.

If election law was broken, however, the penalty is slight. The groups can rack up fines, but a wide-ranging election bill passed in 2010 took groups off the hook for paying them.

Gibson says she has been hit with mailers weekly since early September.

“It’s funny. They used to be much bigger,” she said. “When they come now, they are like postcards.”

The group has sent mailers attacking state Senate candidate Nancy Soderberg, a Jacksonville Democrat, for raising campaign cash in New York and Washington.

Following the trend of many of the mailers, they have also attacked incoming Senate Minority Leader Chris Smith, D-Fort Lauderdale, for being a bad “progressive.”

The mailer places Smith’s image next to one of Florida Democratic Party Chairman Rod Smith. It chides both for voting for Republican redistricting plans. Rod Smith voted for a GOP-authored plan as a member of the Senate.

The group also hit state Rep. Dwight Bullard, a Miami Democrat running for state Senate, for filing campaign finance reports late. The mailer points to fines paid by Bullard for the late filings.

So wait, even if they break the law they do not have to really pay the fines? Do they go to jail instead?
I really do not give a flippen goble gok on what party did this but the fact nobody will get into trouble scares the heck out of me.